The present invention relates in general to time measurements and in particular to a device for measuring time interval between a first or starting event and a plurality of successive events, using a gating circuit, a clock generator, and a counter for counting the clock pulses between respective events.
Devices for measuring time periods are generally known. Conventional counting devices of the beforedescribed type are capable of measuring the time between a start and a stop signal. By means of a start signal a train of clock pulses is generated at a relatively high frequency by the clock generator. The stop signal terminates the generation of the clock pulses. The number of clock pulses generated in the meantime is counted in a counter and indicated. In this manner an accurate measurement of the time interval between two events is realized and the accuracy of the measurement is determined only by the accuracy of the clock generator and by the frequency employed. Such known time measuring devices have the disadvantage that they are unuseable for measuring time intervals in a sequence of pulses that means when a plurality of successive events is present. If by means of such prior art devices time intervals between a plurality of consecutive events is to be measured than several counting circuits would be necessary so that each counting circuit be employed for measuring a time interval between two assigned events in the succession of such events. This kind of measurement could be made in a simple manner only in the case when the two pulses or events are available separately so that each counter could be supplied with a corresponding separate pair of event signals. An evaluation of time intervals in a sequence of pulses such as frequently occur in digital technology is not possible with the prior art devices. For this purpose, the so-called logic analyzers are used. The logic analyzers however have a complicated construction and are expensive. Analog signals and asynchronous signals cannot be measured with the logic analyzers.